


Lullaby of Obedience

by Green_Phantom_Queen



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Curiosity, Dreams and Nightmares, Dreams vs. Reality, Dreamsharing, Gen, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mind Control, Mind Meld, Morally Ambiguous Character, Multi, Music, Mystery, Nightmare, Observer, Philosophy, Post-Canon, Secrets, Sequel, Storytelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-11-24 06:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20903144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Green_Phantom_Queen/pseuds/Green_Phantom_Queen
Summary: Sequel to GRiDGALAXY's "Lullaby for Lost Children", a curious boy finds himself wanting to know how the story continues and enters it to team with Ai to continue his dream of creating bonds. However, curiosity shared between the two will soon start this dream to unravel into a dark and twisted nightmare from which there may be no escape...except to fall into a longer and deeper reverie that the lost children wish to never wake up from.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Lullaby of Lost Children](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20807114) by [GRiDGALAXY](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GRiDGALAXY/pseuds/GRiDGALAXY). 

> Two of the characters mentioned here are from my "Mors Omnibus" and "Mors Tua" stories. The setting will take place -- when I finally get it uploaded -- during Part 2 of "Mors Omnibus" but can be read at its own separate piece.

** _Fairytales have been the basis of modern story-telling for children._ **

** _Just think about it. What type of stories do teachers and parents read to them before they go to sleep? Tales of dashing knights, beautiful princesses, dark woods, magic and fairies, where people traversed in a village “Once upon a time” and ventured into a “Happily ever after…” these are the stories that are the foundations to those who love a good book._ **

** _I am no exception._ **

** _The story I am about to…”become involved in” reminds me of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. I was always a lover of the Brothers’ Grimm before I even began my path as a curious soul who collected tales like a child collects cards._ **

** _(Of course that’s not a simple analogy to make since I myself collect cards and use them to unleash retribution on blue-cloaked and blue hearted soldiers)_ **

** _Back to the story though, the tale of the dozen dancing damsels talks about how their father, a grand and wise king, could not understand where his daughters went off to when they slept. Every evening he locked the door to their bedchambers, but when he opened it he found them all tired and their shoes worn out._ **

** _The king was confused and he asked for any and all knight to try to uncover this mystery. Each of them had three days and three nights else they would either be sent to jail or worse...executed._ **

** _Many tried, many failed. Three days and three nights passed by in rounds until it seemed like it would be impossible to find out what was going on._ **

** _That is, until a war hero stumbled upon a kind enchantress and found a means to see what happened to them._ **

** _Now, how exactly this happened isn’t important. What should have been more important was the secrecy that the princesses had. Did it matter to those poor knights in love what happened to them? Did it matter that they were sentencing innocent people to their deaths just so they can keep their love of all-night dancing all to themselves?_ **

** _Perhaps there was a reason for the secrecy. Was the king a tyrant? Did they feel so constrained being princesses with their tea parties and smiling and waving to the adoring crowds? _ **

** _Those are very interesting questions, but that’s not what we’re here for._ **

** _So, let me get to the point of what I’m about to get into. I’m about to lead you into a story I found long ago. But instead of twelve princesses, we have lost children who wish to slumber in each others’ arms, traversing through darkness and mirrors into one another’s memories and reveries. How romantic._ **

** _Lie down, take a deep breath, let your tensions go, listen to my voice. I will not lead you astray. Just as long as I can keep my curiosity at bay, we should be able to see the door that will lead us to this magic tale. The door is open. Just take your hand on the door knob and…_ **

** _Oh, wait! I just remembered to do something._ **

** _…_ **

** _Oh, don’t look at me like that. It’s very simple. Here, let me show you…_ **

** _…_ **

** _There we go, isn’t [this music](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3e1pfgSyuE) lovely? It is. It’s one of my favorite tracks._ **

** _There, just listen to how it twinkles like stars at night, and the melody lulls you into a world of happiness, light, shadows and...if you would permit, connections._ **

** _Give me your hand if we are friends, and let The Curious make amends._ **

** _Off we go…_ **

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Lullaby of Obedience**

**A Sequel to “Lullaby for Lost Children”**

**Written by Green Phantom Queen (with help from GRiDGALAXY if she is willing to join in on this reveur)**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Prologue - The Curious Beginning**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

It is quiet, except for the air conditioning and the constant drumming of fingers on a laptop.

Dawn Fujiki sighs as she watches the people on the screen, asleep, eyes closed in a dream of love and comfort. The four have just finished a round of night activities that she has been “monitoring” while her roommates for the hotel room they are staying in already asleep, hands wrapped around each other and their ears covered with earplugs.

Dawn giggles as she looks at the time at the bottom corner of the screen. 3:10 AM. It’s getting late, and she, her roommates, the four people on the screen and four others have to get ready.

Paradise is going to have a dark awakening very soon, and it was all the more important that she got some rest before…

A knock on the door interrupts her thoughts. Dawn narrows her eyes, curls her hands into fists and rises.

“Who’s out there?” she asks.

The only response she gets is an eerie whistle. Her eyes widen at the answer. She knows what this signals…

And, to be honest, a good story makes it easy for one to sleep. She’s too hyper, too eager, too exhausted, anxious and downright nervous after what happened prior to the traverse through darkness and mirrors to where she is now.

Besides, the person with the whistle tells some of the best stories.

Or rather, he _ collects _ some of the best stories.

At the end of the whistle, Dawn makes her way to the door, her footsteps silent like shadows. She grasps onto the door knob and opens it, staring face to face with a grey face like stone with black holes for eyes, a sloping nose and a smile that looks neither happy nor sad.

“Trip,” Dawn states. “Or rather, ‘The Curious’...what are you doing up this late?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” Trip answers, voice like the flutter of a moth’s wings. “I was reading this fantastic story and I grew...curious.”

He shows Dawn a collection of papers stapled together with crayon drawings of a being with purple hair and a black opera cape on top, eyes closed as if in a dream. Beneath him are purple strings of music that wrap around the bodies of many figures like blankets or puppet strings. The title is in a soft cursive with black looping lines like smoke.

“‘Lullaby for Lost Children’,” Dawn states, reading the title.

She frowns. ‘Lost’ and ‘Children’ together resonate within her like a gong and with enough force that she wants to punch the wall in anger. However, she can’t do that. One because she’ll wake everyone up with how hard she punches. And two, her punches will lead to her paying for the damage. 

(And if not her, Kaiba was going to have to pay it from her and he’s not willing to pay for that. An Action Duel School yes, but not the rage of a repurposed girl.)

Trip chuckles from within his curious mask. “It ends with the hint that seems like this won’t be the end of this adventure. And I’m tossing and turning to see how it ends.”

“So The Curious is becoming too curious for his own good,” Dawn summarizes. “What does that have to do with me?”

Trip smirks as he enters the hotel room and seats himself onto the couch. He then slaps the stapled papers onto the table, the sound like a pillow hitting the ground. “I want to see how the story goes.”

“How are you going to do that?” Dawn questions, closing the door. “I mean, don’t you need an _ author _ to make a story?”

“You need an author to _ write _ a story,” Trip corrects. “But one can _ make _ a story just by being there.”

“What do you mean?”

Trip pulls out something from the pocket of his orange jacket. From the dim moonlight, Dawn can see that it looks like a feather from a large crow.

“Did you get that from one of Ash’s ravens?” Dawn questions.

“Not Ash’s, but from one of a higher power,” Trip answers. “This is said to belong to a raven of one of the most infamous figures of the Nightmare Realm...the Phantom of Infinite Realms. I could go on and on how my family worships this figure -- for it is said that she creates the multiple worlds that house the Nightmare Realm, guarded by her dragon knight -- but to even _ obtain _ such a wonderful relic for what I’m about to do is something that should not go to waste.”

“What does that even do?” asks Dawn, scratching her head.

“With this feather, I can enter a story and interact with its characters. Or, even better, I can _ alter _ the contents of the story and let it continue. Think of the possibilities! Stories that were never finished, ideas that were scrapped, tales that could not have been made possible...and I have that power in my hands.”

“But why do you need me?” Dawn inquires. “Tomorrow is a big day for us all and…”

“Aren’t _ you _ curious as to what I’m about to do?” asks Trip with a tilt of his head. “I promise you that it’s not going to that the characters aren’t going to leap out of here in a desperate search for a new author to write their tales. I just want you to observe what I’m going to do. That’s what all stories want; they want an _ audience _.”

Dawn swallows. Of course, being a repurposed soul means she has more time to do more than the average person has the time to live for. Curiosity for the unknown comes part and parcel to being resurrected like how vampires always have a craving for fresh blood or werewolves transform under the light of the full moon.

“Well...how do I know what I’m going to get into if I haven’t read the story?” she asks, resisting the urge to admit that yes, she _ is _ just as curious as Trip.

“Then get to it right now,” says Trip, twirling the feather in his fingers like a certain puppeteer they both know twirls a knife. “It’s a short read and while you do that, I’m going to enter that story and see who the protagonist is.”

Dawn opens her mouth to say something but stops when Trip raises his feather into the air and stabs the cover of the bundles of paper. The figure with purple hair and purple strings of music glow and the pages begin to morph into a proper book with a hardcover and illustrations. Dawn can get a better look at the sleeping figures and doesn’t know whether to be excited or just plain sick at what she’s seeing.

“No harm ever happened from reading a book,” Trip coos as he opens the book to the very last page just by waving the back of his hand. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Trip takes the nib of the quill and stabs it into his pointer finger. Even in the darkness, the drop of blood shines with a color that could be mistaken for ink. Trip then squeezes that droplet and places his finger over the page. The drop splashes onto the page as a gasp of air is heard within the silent bedroom.

“_ In Somnis Veritas… _” Trip recites. “In dreams is truth.”

Dawn stays silent as Trip places his hand over the drop of blood upon the papers. The eyeholes of his mask glow like flames from a jack-o-lantern before black letters from the book itself curl towards his hands like snakes until it becomes a thick vine for him to grab onto. Trip takes one look at Dawn before he grips onto the vine.

“I promise to send a souvenir once I’m done,” he says, waving at Dawn with the hand that grips the feather. “Good day. Or rather, good night.”

Then, with the sound of a howling wind, Trip is sucked into the book. Dawn gasps when the book closes itself shut before staring at her oblivious roommates. After hearing nothing, Dawn approaches the book and picks it up. It feels cold to the touch, despite how it was glowing like Venus in the night sky just a few minutes ago.

Dawn flips to the end of the story and raises her eyebrow at the watercolor illustration of the purple-haired man petting a teenage boy with hair colored blue and pink looking utterly confused at the stranger with green hair, orange jacket and grey mask staring at them. What is her _ brother _ doing in a story like this.

Of course, if she wants to know how it got there, she has to start at the beginning.

But does she _ really _ want to be reading at a time like this? When she can catch up on beauty sleep after everything that happened?

….

…

…

…

...Well, no harm ever came from reading a book.

Dawn seats herself down on the couch where Trip sat minutes ago and starts at the beginning. There, she sees the illustration of a boy with lavender hair tilting his head at a duel disk glowing purple on his bed. An illustration that, somehow, has movement of little music notes floating above the duel disk like bubbles. Curious…

Seeing as she isn’t going to get anywhere without reading the story that made Trip curious enough to venture into the realm of stories, Dawn begins to read as a soft and haunting lullaby plays from her laptop…

...Even though it is a track that Dawn has not downloaded.


	2. The Curious Delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Curious strikes a deal with Ai and Yusaku for a curious delight.

** _If I was a cat, then my catnip would be the stories of childhood innocence mixed with a cup full of twisted desires, a pinch of shadows and a dash of sugar._ **

** _Sugar with darkness rolled into a delectable treat that melts on the tongue. Sugar that you _ ** **know ** ** _can cause your teeth to rot if not taken care of but you don’t care because it taste so good._ **

** _I am addicted to these stories like an alcoholic struggles with numbing his pain with the nearest bottle of moonshine he can find. I myself drown my pain and hatred with a sea of words and phrases that soak me to the core with every turn of the page._ **

** _We all have those things that we indulge in, mostly to make our lives just a little bit better to swallow. Even when we know it’s bad for us, we continue to find ourselves going through a cycle._ **

** _Depression to happiness to depression to happiness again until we all spiral downwards and forget just why were taking these addictions in the first place. All we want in the end, is an escape from life and its hardships._ **

** _The tale is no different than a person trying to satisfy their sweet tooth._ **

** _And I am going to enjoy sinking my teeth into _ ** **this ** ** _wonderful treat._ **

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Chapter 1**

**0-0-0-0-0-0**

**The Curious Delight**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Ai looks at the sole person asleep on the bed with a soft smile on his face. Out of all the people that he knew in his short existence, he loved this one the most.

Yusaku Fujiki, the one who once made Ai a captive, but soon the two had an inseparable bond. Even if the name was chosen without consideration, its meaning resonated within his body.

_ It means “to be loved”. _

And Ai loved Yusaku and he knew that Yusaku truly loved the people close to him too: Takeru, Kusanagi, Jin, Aoi, Ryoken…

At that last name, Ai can’t help but feel jealous. Of course Yusaku would hold Ryoken with such regard and respect. But were it not for Ryoken, Yusaku would not be here right now, sleeping in his lap.

Perhaps the two can share Yusaku. Love should be shared with everyone after all!

Love...at that part, Ai couldn’t help but feel sad about that. He had loved his family in their little world. But it was due to Dr. Kougami’s desires to eradicate all six of them (even though Lightning was the main culprit for all of these tragedies) that caused them all to separate.

Earth, vivisected and his memories taken away because of one woman’s greed.

Windy, corrupted by Lightning to kill his own origin just for the sake of spiting humanity.

Flame dying with his partner.

Aqua unable to properly bond with her origin and her closest connection to them dying after saying farewell to their family.

Lighting who wanted to save himself even after all of the atrocities he committed.

And Ai himself, who only wanted to live peacefully with humanity but found that he would cause humanity’s destruction just by existing.

It wasn’t fair! All Ai wanted to do was live, just like any other person did! Why did this have to happen? Why couldn’t he be alive and make bonds and have his family?! 

Even these nightly visits will wear thin. All he could do was watch them sleep and make the bonds he could never have. With his family -- both Ignis and human.

The peaceful memories he had with them weren’t enough. Ai wanted _ more _. More time, more bonds, more and more members of his family to erase the pain and suffering he had gone through.

But how? How could he make them?

“You know, if you keep frowning like that, you’ll form wrinkles.”

Ai blinks and looks up to find someone seated across from him on a wooden chair. They are not from SOL or a Knight of Hanoi. They are simply dressed in an orange hooded jacket, a pair of jeans and a strange grey mask like stone. From their size, Ai can sense that they are pretty young yet they possess a strange aura of mystery surrounding them.

“You..” Ai begins.

“I’m an observer,” the person replies with a chuckle as he twirls a large black feather in his hand. “I am The Curious.”

Ai raises an eyebrow at this intruder. The only ones who could enter this safehouse are those who he sent that lullaby to and those who could enter VRAINS via peer to peer cable. The person has no Duel Disk on them nor does he look like a hacker.

“What are you?” Ai questions, narrowing his eyes.

“Like I said,” The Curious replies behind his mask in a soft, breathy voice. “I am an observer. I heard of your plight to give these Lost Children some comfort in the evening and...I came to help.”

“Help?” Ai repeats. This...entity is very peculiar. He looks human but something about him states that he is in-human in nature.

“Yes, help,” The Curious repeats with a chuckle. “Help you and Yusaku in getting what you want.”

Ai raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And how will a human like you be capable of doing such a thing?”

“I am human in the way I speak, act and appear. But the way I _ think _ is not like an ordinary human,” The Curious explains. “I see people, I observe how they go on their daily routines and ponder the stories they get themselves in, trying to figure out how to start the tales of these poor little lambs. 

“It reminds me of a quote of a book where people can populate the planets of the solar system and films were still in black and white.” The Curious shows his spare hand. “It said, ‘A tale may have three beginnings: -- “ He then begins to count each item. “One for the audience, one for the artist, and one for the poor _ bastard _who has to live it.’”

The Curious chuckles a little, as if elated to be stating such a word. If Ai could peer behind the mask, he could see the Curious and his crooked grin like bent wire close to the point of bursting into laughter.

“My, my, my,” Ai states. “I find you very interesting.”

“Not interesting, _ curious _,” The Curious insists. “But before I go into my proposed plan to help you, I think it would be wise to wake Yusaku up.”

“But he looks so happy in his dreams,” Ai pouts.

“This involves him, too,” The Curious states. “I’m sure he also doesn’t want to lose _ his _family too. If you both team with me, I can give you what we all want.

“You want to see your original family, the Ignis, back.

“Yusaku wants to be able to bond with the other Lost Children.

“And I...I just want a good story.”

Ai hums, unsure what to think of this boy. This boy just appears out of nowhere, without any access to VRAINS and an offer to give him what he and Yusaku wanted? And all he wants is a..._ story _?

Humans are very strange creatures, that is very clear.

But if there is even a small chance to have everyone get what they want…

Ai places a hand on Yusaku’s head as a pulse of purple light pulsed over him. Slowly, Yusaku opens his eyes with a groan, revealing sleepy green eyes.

“Ai…” Yusaku mumbles. “Where...where is everyone?”

“They’re currently away for the moment,” Ai sighs, patting Yusaku’s head. “Now wake up, we have a guest.”

Yusaku slowly rises from the bed to see The Curious staring back at him. If that mask of the boy could move, then that smile would stretch out like the smile on the face of the Cheshire Cat.

“Hello Yusaku Fuijiki,” The Curious says. “Allow me to...introduce myself.”

And as he says this, the eyeholes of strange boy’s mask glows with a white light edged with blue.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

“So _ that’s _ what Ai would like if he had the body of a human?” Dawn asks, trying to picture the goofy purple-lined Ignis that was in her brother’s Duel Disk into this theatrical star with his black cape and white blouse. “And he has _ feelings _for Yusaku?”

She flips the book back to the illustration of Ryoken seeing Yusaku asleep on the fluffy bed before she flips it back even more when it showed all of the Lost Children in their little heaven, Ryoken, Specter and Takeru huddled together and Yusaku off to the side.

“I mean...I _ guess _ that’s kinda interesting,” she mutters before she shakes her head. “What am I saying? Ryoken is Yusaku’s one true love, not Ai! I mean, how the hell is he and nii-san are going to play paddycake?”

Dawn frowns as she continues reading, all while the music track continues to play on loop.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

“You’re...different,” Yusaku states. That’s all he can say about this stranger.

“But you are quite similar to the Yusaku I know,” The Curious replies, licking his lips.

“Yusaku you…” Ai blinks. “You’re from another world?!”

“Oopsie, guess I let that cat out of the bag!” The Curious states. “Ah, I should be more careful letting my loose lips sink plenty of ships.” He then chuckles, but it’s not as light-hearted as earlier. “Then again...the one time I decided to _ not _tell anyone what was going on lead to poor Specter being -- “

“Back to this little deal of yours,” Ai interrupts, feeling a migraine about to form. He’s not sure whether or not he wanted Roboppy back. At least Roboppy didn’t act like such a trickster!

“Oh, right, right. Well,” The Curious clears his throat. “Yusaku, what do you feel after these past few nights under Ai’s program.”

Yusaku pauses. How did he feel?

At first, he was confused as to what Ai was planning. But that all went away when he sensed Ryoken next to him. Not _ physically, _ but emotionally.

He could see and feel Ryoken’s horror upon calling the police to free the children from his father’s experiments. The pain he had to endure for an entire decade in eradicating the Ignis threat, the guilt Ryoken felt for freeing Yusaku…

Yusaku wanted nothing more to keep Ryoken close, telling him that they would have a new future together. That with the Ignis threat gone, they can walk a new path.

And then Jin came, then Takeru, Specter, Aoi, Miyu...he felt more of these people surround him and he wanted to keep them close to his heart. He wanted to make sure that they were always with him.

He wanted them to be...his family.

“I…” Yusaku smiles. “I felt like I understood these people more. And I wanted to keep them by my side.”

“To be connected to them,” The Curious nods his head. 

“That’s right.”

“But Yusaku, are you connected to yourself?”

Ai raises an eyebrow and rubs his chin in thought. “What type of question is that?”

“That is for you to ponder for as long as this story plays out,” The Curious answers. “The question that drives one forward, the one that makes you stay up all night with countless pillow talk..._ Are you connected, Yusaku Fujiki? _We’ll find out soon enough.”

The Curious shows off the black feather in his hand. “Come see me when you wake up. I’ll be waiting.”

The light behind his mask completely wraps around him from head to toe before he dissolves into a shower of blue and white pixels. Ai and Yusaku watch in silence as they hear an eerie whistle inside the cottage.

“Do you think...he can be trusted?” Yusaku asks.

“Who knows?” Ai says with a chuckle. “But I myself am _ curious _ to see where this shall lead."


	3. The Curious Divide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Curious begins to plant seeds in Jin's head in regards to his older brother.

** _United we stand, divided we fall._ **

** _Such a line that seems so awe-inspiring, moving and all around a great lesson to weave into everything in fiction._ **

** _But I’m not in the unity as I am in the division part...particularly when it comes to the division of family._ **

** _Isn’t it always the same? Parents and children are unable to understand each other’s points of views. The parent wants to protect the child but the child thinks that the parent is taking away something “cool” or “fun” or restricting their freedom to leave the nest._ **

** _Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about that when I head for college. It’s tradition in my family for children to leave and collect “strange tales” for our ever-growing library._ **

** _But for those who only have each other to depend upon? What happens when time, age and freedom start to plague them?_ **

** _Well, *chuckles* that’s what I plan to unleash._ **

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Chapter 2**

**0-0-0-0-0-0**

**The Curious Divide**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Jin and Shoichi are not on speaking terms.

Not since Shoichi took Jin’s Duel Disk away on the risks that it is “too dangerous”.

Jin busies himself by wiping tables down, focusing on anything that isn’t his brother. He does his best to hide the scowl on his face with a friendly smile as to not frighten the customers…

All while stewing on the inside at how unfair this all is.

Why shouldn’t he enter this cozy home, be allowed to sleep and be filled with dreams and love and happiness? Why can’t he join these people in what is essentially a virtual slumber party? He never had that luxury thanks to the Lost Incident; who knows if he’ll ever be allowed to feel that tranquility ever again?

But no, Shoichi’s word is law. Shoichi’s word is  _ final _ .

“Excuse me,” says a voice. “You’re Jin Kusanagi, correct?”

Jin is snapped out of his thoughts and looks up. Standing across from him is a boy in an orange hoodie and blue jeans. He has green hair the color of bamboo and equally green eyes. The boy’s mouth is curled into a scornful grin.

“Y...yes…” Jin states. “How do you...know my name?”

“I know a lot about you, Jin,” The boy answers, seating himself down. “I’m quite curious. No, scratch that. I’m  _ The _ Curious.”

Jin looks in disbelief, eyes darting about to see if anyone is noticing this boy, or if this boy has any parents who are looking for him.

“The Curious” turns to Shoichi at his van and waves a hand to get his attention. “Two hotdogs, one with extra onions and sauerkraut please.”

“Coming right up!” Shoichi replies before getting straight to work on the order. The Curious then sits down at the table and motions for Jin to sit across from him. Jin points to himself before The Curious nods his head.

“I don’t bite,” The Curious states. “I mean, I know a couple of vampires who do, but I surely don’t.”

Jin gulps; something about this person is causing the backs of his hair to stand up.

And yet, when he sees the boy’s green eyes, he can see a mystifying light in them, calming him down.

Nodding his head, Jin sits down. “H...how do you know my name?”

“I’ve...heard it around these parts,” The Curious states. “I’ve also heard rumors that you’ve found a little paradise for your own.”

Jin’s eyebrows rise to the hairline. “H...How?”

“Because…” The Curious smirks as he folds his hands in front of him, leaning towards Jin like a tree leaning on its side. “Yusaku sent me.”

“! Yusaku?”

“Yes…” The Curious states. “I met Yusaku and he really  _ really  _ wants his little family back.” He reaches out towards Jin and places a hand on his cheek. “He misses you a lot, Jin. And you miss that feeling of love and bonds right?”

“I...I do…” Jin answers.

“Don’t you want to feel it again?”

“Yes...but…”

The Curious raises an eyebrow. “Let me guess...big brother finds it too dangerous, that Ai is not to be trusted, that it’s wrong…”

Jin slightly nods his head. “How did you -- “

“Yusaku told me everything, Jin,” The Curious interrupts, moving the hand so that his pointer finger shushes Jin. “But tell me, are you going to listen to what big brother tells you for the rest of your life?”

“I…”

“What would big brother know about the pain you went through? That you suffered for so long and now, just when you received something so soothing and calming that he just  _ takes it away _ without knowing what it’s like to feel so...so relaxed?” The Curious tilts his head and smiles. “What right does Shoichi Kusanagi to be such a meanie?”

Jin feels his heartbeat quicken. Something is wrong with this boy and he wants to turn to his brother and ask for help. But not only is his brother currently busy with that order of hotdogs with extra onions and sauerkraut, something about what The Curious said strikes a chord to him.

Why couldn’t Shoichi allow him to enter VRAINS to sleep with Yusaku and Takeru and the others?

He didn’t understand just what was happening at first, but upon seeing Yusaku and Ryoken’s memories, of the pain and suffering that has transformed them into the people they are now, he felt a connection to them. He can remember phantom hands wrapping around him as he shared the decade of pain and agony placed upon him by that Light Ignis.

To think that the Ignis came from  _ him _ . How could something so evil and broken and monstrous come from someone as sweet and nice and quiet Jin Kusanagi?

The Curious frowns when he notices Jin occupied by his thoughts. This certainly won’t make for a good continuation of the story.

“Whatever has haunted you all these years is gone,” The Curious whispers, lowering his hand as he starts pulling out napkins from the napkin holder. His hands begin to rotate and fold them in a spiral. “You are free now. Free to be happy, free to be safe, free to feel loved...as long as you are allowed to.”

Jin feels paralyzed as the Curious drones on and on. He feels like someone is observing them also but this afternoon has been pretty slow. He has heard no signs from Aoi or Miyu -- most likely they are being talked to by Akira -- and all he wants is to fall asleep and be with his...family.

Family...the only family he’s ever had is Shoichi. Their parents were...not the picture of perfection, to say the least. Shoichi never gave Jin an explanation as to why they left mother and father one day, but Jin never questioned it. He promised to put his complete trust in Shoichi, no matter what.

But now? Now he feels conflicted.

Shoichi took something  _ sacred _ away Jin. A place where Jin could feel safe, whole, connected. A place that was where Jin could go, all by himself, and be protected.

And Shoichi took it away without understanding how important it is to him.

“My, my, my,” The Curious tsks. “Jin, don’t look so angry. There’s a way to fix all of this.”

“There is?” asks Jin. “But how? I can’t access VRAINS while my brother has my Duel Disk.”

“Oh, that is a shame,” The Curious replies with sympathy. “I mean, I wish I could help you but...no, I shouldn’t. I mean, big brother’s word is law, right?”

“No, wait!” says Jin. “I...I really do want this.”

“...Do you?” The Curious asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course.”

“Then...what are you willing to pay for my service?” asks The Curious with a grin. “To be free to be yourself, and no longer following orders as if you were nothing more than a...puppet?”

The way The Curious pops the first ‘p’ in puppet makes Jin shiver. Something is so alluring yet sinister about this boy, like trying to gather honeycomb from a beehive.

“I…” Jin begins.

“You don’t have to answer this now,” The Curious states. “I just wanted to lay it out for you. Now then, I believe that your older brother is going to be done with my order in 3...2..1…”

“Two hotdogs, extra onions and sauerkraut,” says Shoichi, setting the order down in front of The Curious and Jin. He then takes a look at the green haired boy. “Well, never seen you before. You new here?”

The Curious chuckles as he sets aside the napkin rose he made and picks up a hotdog. “...I guess you can say that,” he replies, giving Jin a wink.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

“Trip…” Dawn states, looking at the image of Trip winking his right eye. “I know you like riling people up, but you better not take it too far. And...who the hell is playing music at this hour?”

She sits up and approaches her laptop, hearing that tune ringing in her ears. Upon looking at the screen, she notices a message left on her notepad program and the media player softly playing the song.

_ “You’re stressed out all the time, Princess Morning Glory. Thought this would help you out a bit.” _

_ -Ai _

This causes Dawn to raise an eyebrow. Ai -- well, her Ai at any rate -- could care less about what happened to her. To him, she was, his own words, “A pompous princess who plays cute to hide how much of an ugly witch she truly is”.

So why would this Ignis give her something to calm her down?

….

Dawn sighs and clicks Pause to stop the music.

...Or at least tries to; it keeps playing no matter what she does.

This causes her to panic; something is up. This doesn’t feel like any ordinary song and she’s certain she didn’t upload this particular track on her laptop before leaving Carroll City.

And the way that “Ai” messaged her as “Princess Morning Glory”. She’s certain her Ai does not know of that nickname, or that he would even call her that in the first place.

Dawn sighs and slams the laptop shut, sighing once she hears absolute silence. She then walks back to the table and stares at where she left off in the story. As much as she wants to continue, tomorrow is an important day.

“I’m gonna be amazed how you manage to get sleep after your little escapade,” Dawn mutters before she approaches her bed and throws herself under the sheets.

And as she begins to count sheep, the book turns to the next page where a curious image begins to slowly form with thin lines of ink.

An image of The Curious encountering a maiden in blue and a man with silver hair and equally blue eyes.

  
  
  



	4. The Curious Trickster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blue Maiden is off to confront her double...but is someone else playing tricks on her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Songs sung in this chapter are "Oh No" by Marina and the Diamonds and "Falling in Love Again" by Marlene Dietrich from the movie "The Blue Angel"

** _The advent of technology has brought about something that has always interested me so._ **

** _Avatars._ **

** _Alternate selves, personas, masks, roles, whatever you want to call them, but these are essentially different portrayals of ourselves that we project upon the masses. Where instead of donning costumes and make-up, we create scripts and present ourselves as a brand new version of ourselves, mostly to escape our mundane lives._ **

** _If I had to tell you what my role as “The Curious” is, you’d look at me as if I was currently on a LARP or I was a “Chuunibyou” going in on some strange adventure as I went along collecting my tales while _ **

** _(And if you told me that, I would force you up into the air and squeeze your neck if you for placing me in that category. How dare you!)_ **

** _But like any role that we create, there are always two problems to worry about._ **

** _The first one is that we lose ourselves into our persona that we cannot tell what is fact or fiction. We seem to lose all sense of time as we fall into the delusion that we are a great king or a mighty warrior instead of some average person living the same monotonous life over and over again without meaning. Let’s hope one does not get to the point that they would rather have their head chopped off then come to the realization that their fantasy will never come true._ **

** _And the second one?_ **

** _Is if someone has indulged in your fantasy self doesn’t do any drastic, unable to tell the difference between the idolized self that they created in their mind and the normal, plain self that you usually are when the magic of make-up and costumes goes way…_ **

** _Like, say, try to commit a convoluted plan so that the two of you die “together”._ **

** _Wouldn’t _ ** **that ** ** _be such a tragedy?_ **

  
  


**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

**Chapter 3**

**0-0-0-0-0-0**

**The Curious Trickster**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

“For the last time, you are not going into VRAINS tonight!”

This is what Akira Zaisen states at the dining room as he, Aoi and Miyu share dinner tonight. Aoi keeps her amber eyes on her brother, feeling the urge to not take her plate of hamburger steak and rice -- one that was personally cooked by Akira in what felt like forever -- and smash it over his head. Miyu sits in-between them, unsure whether or not to speak up.

“Why can’t I?” Aoi states. “Don’t you understand how important this is?”

Akira sighs before he looks at the television. “This is a set-up. Someone is trying to rile you up and smear mud on your name!”

Aoi takes a glance at the television, which is now showing a concert that is playing on Link VRAINS. Concerts in VRAINS aren’t uncommon, but it’s the person who is singing in front of a live audience that has made everyone in the room look in shock.

The singer is Blue Angel and she is backed-up by singers who have taken the images of Blue Girl and Blue Maiden.

Akira learned this hours ago from Hayami, that “Blue Angel” was somehow performing a concert and invited everyone to see her sing to a variety of songs. This was suspicious in its own -- as he knows that Aoi has decided to stick to being “Blue Maiden” for the time being -- but it was what “Blue Angel” said after she finished singing her first set.

...

...

...

_ “Hi everyone!”  _ “Blue Angel” shouts on her microphone in a pitch perfect imitation of the real Blue Angel’s voice.  _ “Welcome to my ‘Perfect Blue’ concert! It’s open to the public, free of charge. However…” _

It is here that “Blue Angel” stops the music and winks to her adoring fans.  _ “I’m here to personally have a confrontation with a guy that I became so very close with. Someone with such a fearsome look in his eyes and a confident smirk. He just stole my heart and stole a decisive victory from me. So….” _

“Blue Angel” twirls as the screen behind her showed the image of the man she is talking about.

_ “Specter darling~”  _ “Blue Angel” giggles.  _ “I want a rematch. Now. Don’t keep me and my adoring fans waiting~!” _

…

…

…

Aoi feels absolutely sick to her stomach as she recalls seeing the challenge this faux Blue Angel laid out. And to  _ Specter _ of all people?

Her relationship to the Knight of Hanoi is, if she is to describe it, “Complicated”. The first time they ‘met’, it was when he decided to plant a virus in her that made her act mad and caused her to fall into a coma. The second time was even worse, when he mocked the persona she made and the book that it was inspired from before she landed on her head for everyone to see.

Even after she teamed up with the Knights of Hanoi, once against Bohman and once against Ai the tension just didn’t go away. There was always going to be that part of her, like birthmarks, that would resent him for what he inflicted on her. There would always be a part of her filled with an utter hatred of this man.

Still, there is something brewing in Link VRAINS that she has to uncover for herself. Specter or no Specter.

“This could be a trap laid out by Ai to send you into that strange dreamland of his again,” Akira warns. “Don’t you understand what he’s done to you?”

“He’s made me feel more connected,” Aoi answers, staring at Miyu. “Don’t you know how that feels, nii-san? The only connection I had to Miyu before then was through Aqua and now I’m making up for lost time.”

“It’s true, Akira-san,” Miyu pipes up. “The only thing that kept me going through the Lost Incident was the last time I ever saw Aoi. It’s kinda funny, isn’t it? The most tragic memory I had as a child was what kept me from being completely traumatized.”

“That’s just the beginning!” Akira snaps. “Aoi, I don’t want you to be hurt again. Not after what happened with -- “

Akira doesn’t finish speaking, but Aoi understands. Back when Ai was still going rogue, he defeated both Zaisen siblings in a duel...only to have Akira be the one converted into data so that Aoi would suffer through survivor’s guilt over failing to save Aqua from Bohman and Lightning’s cruel machinations.

“Still,” Aoi states with a sigh. “I felt as if I became linked not only to Miyu but also Jin and…” she does her best to hide the blush on her cheeks. “I wish to see into Yusaku and understand the pain  _ he  _ has gone through.”

“Is it worth it?” Akira questions. “Is this happiness worth giving yourself up to whatever Ai wants?”

“What’s wrong with Ai giving me and Miyu this?” Aoi states, feeling fury burning her heart. “To feel safe and secure and being able to  _ understand _ someone like that. To not just walk in their shoes but to actually feel their very souls like one enters a dream? I wish Ai was able to do that back when I was still parading as Blue Angel to get your attention.”

Akira narrows his eyes. “What are you saying?”

Aoi sighs before she stands up, staring at her brother with eyes like a hawk. “Nii-san, my days as Blue Angel are no more. I’ve obtained your approval, I have fought to protect those I have loved and now I only wish to be able to find some semblance of peace. Who knows how long I will have it again? Who knows what type of twisted being could take it away from me?”

“Aoi…” Miyu whispers.

Aoi marches towards her Duel Disk sitting on the coffee table and straps it onto her arm. With one last look at her older brother and close friend, she then turns towards the television, at the frozen image of Blue Angel with that smile Aoi wants to rip out with her bare hands.

Let’s see how this masquerader fares when the real Blue Maiden makes her stand.

“Into the VRAINS!” 

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

Amaryllis Ampitheater.

Blue Maiden always wanted to perform a show on this stage, singing and dancing alongside her Trickstar monsters. To soak up the cheers of her adoring fans under blood-red lights and flowers blooming beneath her feet like she is a dryad dancing her cares away. To perform so that her brother had no choice but to take his eyes off of work and actually  _ see _ her,  _ look _ at her, to stop denying that she was a little girl anymore.

To think that this wish has finally come true...except it wasn’t the true Blue Angel singing.

Blue Maiden grits her teeth as she approaches the path that will lead her to the amphitheater with loud music, lights and fireworks in the shape of flowers. The song that is playing is bright and bubbly, yet the lyrics make her want to crawl into a hole.

_ “I know exactly who I want and who I want to be!”  _ Blue Angel sings on a humongous screen, twirling around along with copies of Blue Girl and Blue Maiden copying her movements..  _ “I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine!” _

Then Blue Angel starts hopping to the side then the next with a bright smile on her face.  _ “I’m now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy. Oh! Oh no! Oh no! Oh no~!” _

The real Blue Maiden shakes her head. Is  _ this _ what she used to be?

No matter; this imposter’s fifteen minutes of fame is going to end very soon.

Blue Maiden quickens her pace as she looks at various fans of hers in Blue Angel decorated paraphernalia shout and cheer at their idol. As she approaches the backrow of the audience (glad for the first time in her life that she is invisible), she hears a haunting voice in her ear...only for her.

_ Falling in love again,  _

_ Never wanted to. _

_ What am I to do? _

_ I can’t help it. _

Blue Maiden turns around just as someone places a hand over her mouth. She curls her hands into fists, ready to punch this stranger...

“Is that any way to treat an old friend?” a voice soft as silk yet filled with venom questions.

Blue Maiden looks up, and she is staring at the last person she wants to see. Silver hair tied in a ponytail, white suit like vanilla ice-cream, blue eyes like the sea that she wants to stab with a pair of scissors.

“Specter!” Blue Maiden gasps. “What the hell -- “

“Tsk,” Specter clicks his teeth. “Once again, ‘Is that any way to treat an old friend?’”

“I don’t recall the two of us ever being friends,” Blue Maiden retorts. “And what are you doing here?”

“I came to see my name in stars, Blue Maiden,” Specter replies, that repulsive grin on his face. “No, Ryoken-sama and the other Knights don’t know I’m here. Let me guess, Big Brother is watching or something?”

“Haha, very funny,” Blue Maiden snarls. “What do we do about my doppelganger though?”

“Ha, that depends on how you want to deal with a doppelganger. You know, they say that if you ever meet yours then that means you’re going to die within...what was it? Six months...a year?”

Blue Maiden grits her teeth, having half a mind to start a brawl so that everyone can turn their attention to them. “No time for jokes. Come on. Let’s take this someplace...quiet.”

Taking Blue Maiden’s hand into his own, gentle yet firm, Specter leads the two out of the concert hall and into a café with a neon sign that depicts a girl in a top hat and blue coat. The words ‘Grand Guignol’ is in looping cursive colored yellow.

“I’ve never heard of this place…” Blue Maiden mutters, watching Specter knock on the door.

“It opened up recently,” Specter answers, silver hair covering his bangs. “Only people who were given personal invitations are allowed to enter.”

“And I suppose  _ you’re _ so grand that you were allowed to enter?”

“Of course. I mean, I have to do something with my time.”

Blue Maiden sighs as Specter knocks on the door. She rather take a bath in liquid nitrogen then spend another second with this prick.

“Password?” Someone asks from the other side.

Specter chuckles, brushing a silver bang away to reveal an eye the color of topaz.

_ “A new purpose awaits us,” _ he whispers.

And the person on the other side of the door, with bright green hair the color of moss, whose face is covered with a grey mask with black holes and a pencil-thin smile, nods his head.

“Indeed it does.” he replies with glee.

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0**

“What do you mean Specter is currently in a duel against Blue Angel?!”

Akira’s eyes widen in surprise as he looks at the monitor of his laptop where Ryoken Kougami stares back, blue topaz eyes showing a look of a stone statue deep in thought.

“That was the plan,” Ryoken explains. “Specter was going to confront this Blue Angel copy while we searched the logs as to who currently logged in as her. Considering Specter’s defensive style of dueling, it would give us enough time to figure things out.”

“But...if your Specter is going after the fake Blue Angel,” Miyu begins. “Who’s with Aoi right now?!”

“We don’t know,” Ryoken states, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Whoever is parading around as Specter knows him very well. Almost as if…”

“As if...what?” Miyu gulps.

Ryoken pauses before shaking his head. “No, it’s impossible. The only person who knows Specter is Specter himself. Unless of course, there’s someone who’s been following him for who knows long.”

“But that’s impossible!” Akira exclaims. “Who would want to -- “

A loud gasp causes him to turn to the screen. There, “Blue Angel” has revealed her face-down card that reduced Specter’s lifepoints to 0.

Bad Reaction to Simochi.

And with the healing effects of his Sunavalon monsters used against him, Specter found himself thrown off the stage and into the crowd...who had parted so he landed painfully on his back.

…

…

…

“Ha ha!” “Blue Angel” laughs. “Oh this has been so much fun, Specter darling! Don’t you agree?”

Specter sits up, gritting his teeth as the audience watches Blue Angel leap off the stage with a bright smile on her face..

“Curiouser and curiouser,” “Blue Angel” giggles, “I thought you’d put up more of a challenge, Specter darling~”

“Will you stop calling me that?” Specter hisses, leaning forward. 

“Oh but that name really does suit you,” “Blue Angel” pouts. Her face then turns into a cheery smile as she looks at her fans. “Now then, to all the fans I’ve loved before...It’s time for me to claim my prize!”

“I thought your prize of being the girlfriend of that Ghost Girl was enough for you,” Specter mutters as Blue Angel summons her whip, wraps it around his arm and pulls him close.

“Oh Specter darling, you can be so silly!” “Blue Angel” giggles, pressing her body close to his as she whispers. “Let me just say that I’m a little bi- _ curious _ .”

“What do you mean by…”

That is the last thing Specter says as “Blue Angel’s” eyes quickly flicker from an ocean blue to a green like peridots then back to that ocean blue. Before Specter can even get the word out, a purple glow surrounds “Blue Angel’s” hand before it rests on the back of his head. As everything becomes dark, Specter is able to make the connection.

_ P...Playmaker... _

Then, he falls into the darkness of sleep.


End file.
